Truth or Dare
by Mecha-Foot
Summary: [Oneshot] Hiroki knew he never should've let Takako talk him into playing this stupid kids' game... slight HirokiChigusa


I have had this half-finished on my computer forever, since before there was even a Battle Royale category. I was scanning through all the fics and decided to finally dust it off and finish it. If it seems a little lopsided, I'm sorry. My writing style has probably changed at least a little bit.

General Notes: This could take place in the manga, movie or novel, probably a few months before the class trip. I know in the novel it lists Kahoru Kitazawa as Takako's best friend from another class, but I prefer to think of Hiroki as Takako's best friend. It's just a minor note, but I'm kind of paranoid of someone getting annoyed about it.

Pairing: Very slight Hiroki/Chigusa. I admit I'm a bit of a sucker for it. Mildly fluffy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Battle Royale.

"Hiroki?" the girl asked as she sprawled across her bed, contemplating the color of her toenails. The lime green she had painted them matched nicely with the newest piece of jewelry she had acquired, but she was already wondering if a shade of blue would've suited her better.

"Mmm?" the boy in the room replied from his seat in a fairly comfortable armchair, not looking up from the book he was reading with vague disinterest.

"I'm bored," the girl announced. "It's a rainy Saturday afternoon in Shiori-wa, there's nothing on TV, no good movies out right now, I don't feel like going to a café and Hanako is at the vet's. Here I am in my room with you, staring at the ordinary white ceiling and wishing that something interesting would happen. When you were in elementary school, did you ever think that your middle-almost-high school self would be as glamorous as this?" She continued this litany in an even, monotone voice until Hiroki started smiling, then laughing. "If you're so bored, Takako," he said, "why don't you think of something to do?"

"Because there's nothing to do, haven't you been listen—" she abruptly stopped talking and sat upright on her bed. Hiroki Sugimura looked at her from over the top of his book with sudden trepidation. When Chigusa Takako got that look in her eyes, it usually did not end well for Hiroki. There would be some insane scheme she'd hatch, she'd talk him into it, and when they got caught, he'd confess and she'd managed to skate out of trouble effortlessly. It was a little predictable, but it was how the two interacted. They had been best friends since elementary school.

"Hiroki, let's play truth or dare!" Takako said, her dark eyes alight.

"_Takako_," Hiroki said, exasperated. "What are we, eight?"

"Okay, then, I'll go first. So, Truth or Dare, Hiroki?" Hiroki, still slightly annoyed that the track star had managed to talk him into this (he was not sure how, but then, he was never sure how she bent him to her will so easily), huffed at her to show that he was only doing this to indulge her.

"Truth." It was safe enough. Takako already knew almost all of his secrets, anyway. She closed her pretty, upturned eyes and thought.

"Who do you think is the prettiest girl in our class?" He looked at her sharply. This was a little too much truth for his taste! He nervously wet his lips and stalled for time.

"Ah… um… well…" His mind lit briefly on the perfectly curved eyebrows, friendly, bright smile, short dark hair and petite frame of one Kotohiki Kayoko. He hadn't been able to pinpoint when it had started, but lately he'd found himself giving the sweet, playful girl a second and third glance in the hallways. He didn't want to admit this to Takako, though, in case it was just a silly infatuation that passed the same way it came. She would never let him live that down. Kotohiki was cute, but she wasn't truly beautiful, at least not by traditional standards.

So who else was there? Shimizu Hirono looked mature even though she spiked her hair. She could easily pass for a high school student. Souma Mitsuko always looked like she stepped off the covers of the fashion magazines the girls in class often read, but there was a strange look behind her eyes, sometimes. Like instead of a soul behind them, there was just a brick wall.

And of course, there was always Takako herself. Hiroki snuck a glance at his best friend. Her long, orange-streaked hair was in a loose ponytail and she was dressed casually in jeans and a tank top, but the aristocratic beauty in her upturned eyes, delicate eyebrows, straight nose and pink lips was unmistakable.

"You're begging the question," he said finally, smiling at his best friend a little.

"Begging the question?" she asked innocently. Who knew, Hiroki thought, she may not have actually meant to. But we are talking about Takako, after all.

"You know you're the prettiest girl in our class. You just want to hear someone else say it."

"Not true!" Takako said in an outraged tone. She didn't look really angry though. "What about Souma Mitsuko? She's way prettier than me."

"Why? Because she puts out? Pretty isn't just what your face or your body looks like. No matter how beautiful Mitsuko's outside looks, you can tell just by looking… there's something wrong with her."

"Did you pick that up from a Bruce Lee movie?" Takako asked. Her words were meant to be sarcastic, but her tone and face were soft.

"It's your turn," he replied. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Playing it safe, huh?" he teased her gently. She didn't need to bother, anyway. He would never make her do anything dangerous or mean-spirited.

"Just ask me your question."

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" She looked at him, a little sharply.

"You know I haven't. At least, not like that." Did she suspect him of purposefully wasting his question? Hiroki didn't really want to play this game in the first place, but he knew Takako would get on his case if she thought he wasn't taking the game with the utmost gravity.

"I forgot," he replied. "My turn."

"Truth or Dare?" She paused for a moment or two before saying the phrase, as if she was thinking hard about something. What was that about?

"Dare," he said definitively. Come on, what's the worst she could do?

"I dare you to kiss me."

He had to ask.

"_Takako!_"

"What?" she said. She had the gall to look innocent.

"We can't—we aren't—you can't just…"

"Am I to understand that you are refusing a Dare?" she said. "Because if you refuse a Dare, you know there is a penalty."

"What's this penalty?" he asked quickly. She looked a little hurt.

"Do you really not want to kiss me that badly?" she asked. Hiroki couldn't tell if she was truly upset or putting on an act so he would feel bad and therefore do whatever she wanted.

"No! I mean… we're best friends, Takako… it's not—not right," he stammered.

"Exactly," she said. "We're best friends. I can't think of anyone more safe to have your first kiss with. Not some slobbery boy I'm probably going to end up hating later." When he didn't look convinced, she added softly, "Come on, Hiroki. Don't be such a baby. You know I won't tell anyone. Please?"

It was the please that did it, damn her. Hiroki got up from his chair and sat next to her on the bed. He swallowed nervously, scratched his nose. Finally he leaned in towards his best friend. She did likewise. At the last second, Hiroki closed his eyes.

His hands were cold, his lips felt hot, and his stomach had the same feeling right before the big drop on a roller coaster. After awkwardly leaning forward on her bed, he put one hand down to steady him and used the other to cup Takako's face. He felt a little better when he felt she was blushing red hot, too (or was that just because his hands felt so cold?). Her lips were soft, and he was barely exerting any pressure, like he was afraid she would burst into fairy dust if he pushed too hard.

"Takako, Sugimura-kun! Dinner!" The two teenagers shot apart like they'd been electrically shocked. It may have only been a few seconds, but it had felt like forever for him, and at the same time far too short. Hiroki could feel that he was still blushing red right to his hairline. Takako bit her lip and looked uncharacteristically shy as she glanced up at him (when had he gotten so tall?) through her lashes. Hiroki fumbled to come up with something to say that didn't sound incredibly trite and failed. So he just grinned like an idiot as Takako grabbed his hand to pull him downstairs for dinner.

I'm not that happy with the ending, but it could've gone worse, I suppose. And now you know what to do! Review!


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